Fat Tuesday, NYC-Style
Sazerac at Silver Lining
They say the Sazerac was the world’s first cocktail, and that it was invented in New Orleans in the early 1800s. Try one at Silver Lining, a newly opened Tribeca cocktail den and late-night jazz club brought to you by the folks at Little Branch. Their classic Sazerac starts with a crushed Peychaud’s bitters–soaked sugar cube stirred with Old Overholt Straight Rye Whiskey. The solution is then strained into an Old Fashioned glass that has been chilled with either Obsello or Kübler absinthe. The bartender will finish the drink with a twist of lemon peel, rubbing the rim of the glass to impart the fruit’s fragrant oil. This is the civilized way to start your Mardi Gras bender.
Silver Lining: 75 Murray Street, 212.513.1234
Oysters and Absinthe at Maison Premiere
This Williamsburg oyster house and cocktail den does the Big Easy right, with 33 varieties of oysters—yes, count ’em, 33!—ranging from clean and sweet Fishers Islands to Washington state Hama Hamas, known for their light cucumber finish. An absinthe cocktail proves a suitable accompaniment to the bivalves, and Maison Premiere has NYC’s most extensive absinthe collection.
Maison Premiere: 298 Bedford Avenue, 347.335.0446
Shrimp and Oyster Po’ Boy at Cheeky Sandwiches
When Din Yates opened this LES sandwich shop in 2009, he didn’t intend for it to become a New Orleans–specific joint. It just so happened that as he put more of himself into the shop, more things from New Orleans surfaced—like the “Sea” po’ boy, an addictive sandwich composed of shrimp and/or Pacific oysters, fried until golden, piled onto French bread from NOLA’s own John Gendusa Bakery, and dressed simply with pickles, Tabasco, mayo, ketchup, lettuce, and tomatoes. Post–po’ boy, be sure to order up a bag of powdered sugar–dusted “ben-yays” straight from the fryer.
Cheeky Sandwiches: 35 Orchard Street
Dirty Rice and Shrimp at Red Rooster
At Red Rooster in Harlem, chef Marcus Samuelsson nods to the multicultural neighborhood with his reinterpretation of the popular Cajun dish dirty rice and shrimp. Brown basmati rice gets the royal treatment when infused with lobster stock, tomato, red mustard seed, curry leaves, and cinnamon. Shrimp are tossed in a fiery marinade of bird’s-eye chilis, lemon juice, and garlic, and then sautéed. The result is piquant and vibrant, at once evoking the spirit of Harlem and Cajun Country.
Red Rooster: 310 Lenox Avenue, 212.792.9001
King Cake at Silver Moon Bakery
Ask any New Orleanian—it wouldn’t be Mardi Gras without a King Cake. This traditional Carnival-season treat is made of sweetened yeast dough shaped into a ring and topped with icing and purple, green, and gold sugar. A plastic baby doll is placed inside the cake; tradition dictates that whoever gets the slice with the doll must buy the next cake. We suggest you order your King Cake from Silver Moon Bakery on the Upper West Side, where owner Judith Norell will have them available through Fat Tuesday (February 21 this year, by the way).
Silver Moon Bakery: 2740 Broadway, 212.866.4717
